If you want to enjoy your music, movies, or games to the fullest without having to break the bank then be sure to check out our top picks for the best cheap earbuds

Whether your goal is to listen to music while on your morning run, watch a movie on a flight, or get immersed in the latest games having a good source of audio is very important. When it comes to good audio on the go, nothing beats the portability of earbuds. Some earbuds, however, such as those from Bose and Sennheiser, can be pretty brutal on the bank account. Knowing this we set out to find the top ten best cheap earbuds on the market and review all of them for you.

1. Sony MDRXB50AP

As you probably already know, every genre of music and even different artists within the same genre will have a very different sound. Also, from person to person sound preference will change.

While one person might love the sharp treble of the suspense building string section in the Mad Max soundtrack, their friend might prefer the punchy bass of a track like Money Longer by Lil Uzi. This is the reason there are so many headphones and earbuds on the market and why different headphones might suit different people.

If you’re more like the latter person in our example and prefer the presence of powerful bass like in hip-hop or electronic music with a more contemporary production style then the Sony MDRXB50AP (Sony needs to do something about this naming scheme) are the best budget earbuds for you.

These earbuds have all the bass you could need but don’t overwhelm or muddy the mids and highs too badly. What’s more, is that these offer very good noise isolation making them a good choice for a noisy train commute or office.

The only thing we don’t like about these particular earbuds is their crumby controls. You can answer or end calls and play or pause your music, but cannot change the volume or skip tracks, kind of a bummer.

2. SoundMagic E10

While, as we mentioned, some people love earbuds that have powerful and pounding bass, others prefer a more neutral sound that draws out more detail in the mids and highs. The SoundMagic E10 does just that and offers an excellent listening experience for any genre.

These are easily the best value earbuds on our list, as they used to go for much more when they first came out. Since then the price has come down quite a bit but the quality of the earbuds has not changed.

The E10s come with an impressive collection of seven different ear tips ensuring one of them will fit your ear properly forming a good seal, which is very important for both sound quality and sound isolation. The housing of these earbuds is made entirely of metal and the cable is very durable, especially for the price.

The E10 has a much more balanced sound than the Sonys we just looked at and has very slightly recessed mids that offer very impressive highs and tons of clarity throughout. They sound just as good playing something jazzy and nuanced as they do more aggressive and noisy metal or rap tracks.

Unfortunately, these are not ideal for people who like taking calls on the go with their earbuds since there are no in-line controls and no microphone. This puts these firmly in the “audiophile private listening” category.

In 2016 Apple released the AirPods, which brought the world one step closer to a truly wireless future. This got a lot of people excited about the wireless future on the horizon, but for now, most people’s wallets aren’t too happy about the price tag of such devices.

Luckily, other companies are offering wireless earbuds for much less, albeit they are not the “true wireless” style of the AirPods since they do have a wire connecting the two earbuds. The cable connecting the earbuds, in this case, is actually very thin and feels a bit flimsy. That said, some people prefer it over having the earbuds separate from each other since it’s much easier to lose one bud or the other that way.

As for sound, these have a pretty bass heavy tuning much like the Sony earbuds. While it’s not too overwhelming it is a bit much for some people and causes leads and vocals in the mid-range to get a bit washed out at times.

The best thing about these aside from the price is that they have exceptional battery life. A single charge will get you 14 hours of use while a 10-minute charge will get you a full hour of listening.

Most people want their stuff to last when they buy it, but if you’ve shopped for earbuds at this price point before then you already know that this is not usually the case. Unfortunately, most earbuds in the twenty-ish dollar range will fall apart pretty quickly and might last a year if you’re gentle with them.

For those who expect more out of their products and want a pair of earbuds that will endure some abuse, the YSM1000s from Betron are a great option. These earbuds have a very tough cable and the connector and earbud housings are all made from solid metal.

These even come with a 1 year warranty to ensure the earbuds will last. The YSM1000s also have some very good noise isolation and do a great job of blocking out the noise of the world for a moment of solitude and privacy.

However, when it comes to audio quality things fall apart a bit. The bass is slightly emphasized and the mids are pretty recessed, but the treble range is very loose sounding and loses a lot of detail. The result is vocals and leads that are pretty muddy and often lacking in detail.

While these are far from the worst earbuds we’ve listened to, they certainly aren’t the best. They will make a good upgrade from the earbuds that come with phones today, but will not match up to the top three on our list. Most people will be overall pleased though unless they have picky ears.

5. Edifier P270

If you’re like me, then you like to listen to a wide range of music from the experimental and noisy Death Grips to the harmonious and gentle 2814. If this is the case, then earbuds with a stylized tuning, most of the time this means bass heavy, are going to be less than ideal.

These kinds of tunings that emphasize certain elements of music may sound great for some genres like deep house and rap but often underperform with things like jazz and classical that have a more nuanced sound. The Edifier P270s are a great choice for those with broad musical tastes thanks to their very neutral tuning and solid detail.

Everything comes through with surprising clarity given the price, and the included tips are great at forming a comfortable and tight seal with your ear. The highs are sharp and the mids come through very well making vocals easy to make out and lead instrumentation feel pretty pronounced.

The bass response is impressively tight as well and, while not the punchiest in the world, will offer even some bass junkies their low rumbling fix. The only thing about these is that, despite their metal construction, the cable can be a bit flimsy and tends to wear out after about a year or so of heavy use.

Runners are a different breed. Waking up early to suffer before the sun comes up all to be a better version of yourself, pretty intense. Many runners though can’t do without their music during their runs and hearing the right motivational or high energy tracks come on during the most grueling part of a run can help make it up that dreaded hill or through that final mile.

At those very moments, however, is where many people have probably had headphones die. The accumulated sweat and grime of a workout can lead to many earbuds simply giving up before you do and never working again. The Letscom Bluetooth headphones solve this problem with their impressive IPX7 waterproofing.

This rating means that even when submerged in up to 3 feet of water the earbuds will continue to function for at least 30 minutes. Most likely you do not run in 3 feet of water, and hopefully, you don’t sweat out 3 feet worth of water. With the IPX7 rating, these are sure to last even through runs in the rain.

The battery life is solid too coming in at 8 hours, which will make it through all but the most insanely demanding runs. The wireless connectivity is good, but unfortunately, the audio quality is not the best. They are what most people would consider “good enough” and nothing more.

7. KZ ES4

There are headphones, like the Sonys that won the top spot on today’s list, that have a tasteful level of bass boosting in their tuning. Then, there are earbuds like the KZ ES4 that might take it a bit too far.

These earbuds have an overpowering bass that is very responsive and punchy, which some people will love, but others will hate. The overall sound retains a good level of clarity, but the mids can feel like they’re taking a backseat to the might of the bass that these earbuds provide.

The highs are about the same as the mids and while they are detailed for the price and offer good clarity when given the chance to perform, more often than not this detail is entirely blocked out by the rumble of the bass.

It’s also important to note that these earbuds come in a variety of style and that some have an option to include an in-line microphone.

8. Symphonized NRG 3.0

If you’re into the retro look and love the wood paneling of an Oldsmobile then we have just the earbuds for you, the Symphonized NRG 3.0. These earbuds are made from genuine handcrafted wood and they look stunning, at least in this writer’s subjective opinion.

There are six styles with different combinations of cable color and wood ranging from a dark mahogany to a lighter birch wood. In addition, these earbuds come with nine sets of ear tips. There are three styles of eartip and each comes in three sizes ensuring you’ll get a comfortable fit with a good seal.

While these do have what appears to be an open-backed design they perform quite the opposite. While most open-backed headphones let in a lot of sound from the surroundings and bleed out a lot of the sound of your music, these actually have fairly excellent sound isolation.

On the other hand, open-backed headphones are usually very responsive and have tons of detail in their sound. These do not. The bass can be pretty overwhelming at times and the mids can be very muddy sounding.

9. Bengoo MG-2

If you’re an avid gamer and want a pair of earbuds that will not only let you hear the competition but will also let your teammates hear you, then the Bengoo MG-2 is a great option. These earbuds have a unique style of boom microphone that extends away from the earbuds and sits right in front of your mouth.

This allows the microphone to pick up the sound of your voice more clearly while picking up less of the ambient sounds around you. Many in-line microphones, like what almost all of the options on our list have, will pick up a lot of noise as you shift around in your seat and the microphone brushes against your shirt.

The boom mic on the MG-2 avoids this issue entirely and is removable when it’s time to get up and get out of the house. These earbuds also have a surprisingly sturdy fit and would work pretty well even for working out.

Unfortunately, though, like many of the earbuds on this budget-oriented list, the sound is pretty bass heavy resulting in slightly muddied mids and highs at times.

10. Panasonic ErgoFit

Finally, we’ve reached the point in our article where we show you the lowest you can go without making serious sacrifices. Anything cheaper and you’d be getting into the territory of “disposable earbuds” which won’t last you even a year.

The Panasonic ErgoFits are less than ten dollars and for the price are surprisingly sturdy and perform admirably. The sound is not the best thing in the world and having your expectations adjusted for the under $10 price tag going in is a good idea.

You won’t be getting Bose quality audio for this price, but what you do get might actually surprise you and will certainly be better than the earbuds that Samsung and Apple are including in the box with phones these days.

How to Pick the Best Cheap Earbuds for Your Needs

At any price range, but especially in the budget realm, every pair of earbuds has trade offs. While one pair of earbuds might offer excellent sound they may lack comfort, or in most cases vice versa.

To pick the best cheap earbuds for you, you’ll first need to know which factor is most important to you, then decide based off what you are willing to sacrifice. To help you make the best choice we’ve outlined a couple of key features below and picked some winners for each category.

Sound Quality

Because every pair of earbuds has a unique sound and tuning to them, this category ended up being a tie.

If you’re a fan of more contemporary music with bass-heavy beats that carry the song along with energetic and deep synths then the Sony earbuds that took the top spot on our list are best for you. These earbuds offer some pounding bass that is very responsive but still does a good job of allowing the mids and highs to still come through.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a more balanced sound, the SoundMagic E10s are your best option. These have a very neutral tuning and let vocals and leads in the mid and treble range come through with amazing clarity.

Sound Isolation

If you’re looking for earbuds that will let you block out the world and have a bubble of peace in your hectic day, then we suggest the Betron YSM1000. These earbuds offer an excellent seal for most people that does a great job of blocking out sound giving you the opportunity to really get immersed in your content and enjoy your music to the fullest

Comfort

For those who feel that comfort is kind in their choice of earbuds, the NRG 3.0 from Symphonized is your best bet.

These handcrafted genuine wood earbuds not only look luxurious but feel the part as well. The box comes with nine pairs of earbuds to choose from, giving you plenty of options when it comes to how you like your earbuds to fit.

There are three styles of tips and each comes in three sizes meaning no matter how big or small your ears may be one of the nine options will be right in the Goldilocks zone.

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HeadphonesLab.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Additionally, HeadphonesLab.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.